Elephant Legal | Planning Ahead
Your Will and Lasting Powers of Attorney, planned together
Make important decisions for the future with personal guidance through your Will and both types of Lasting Power of Attorney, brought together in one carefully supported process.
Planning Ahead for One — £450. Planning Ahead for Two — £720. Clear explanations, thoughtful preparation and personal support throughout.
Why plan them together?
Your Will and Lasting Powers of Attorney are different documents, but together they help you prepare for important decisions about your future.
A Will records what you would like to happen to your estate after your death, including who should inherit and who should deal with your affairs.
Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) allow you to choose trusted people to make certain decisions on your behalf during your lifetime, in circumstances permitted by law.
Planning Ahead brings these arrangements together, helping you consider both what happens during your lifetime and how your wishes should be carried out afterwards.
Rather than arranging each document separately, you can work through the important decisions as part of one coordinated, personally supported process.
What's included?
Planning Ahead combines our Guided Will service with both types of Lasting Power of Attorney.
Your Will is prepared around your circumstances, beneficiaries, executors and any particular wishes you want to record. For two people, each person has their own individually prepared Will.
A Property and Financial Affairs LPA allows you to appoint attorneys to deal with matters such as finances, bills, bank accounts and property, within the authority you give them.
A Health and Welfare LPA allows your chosen attorneys to make decisions about your health, care and personal welfare if you cannot make those particular decisions yourself.
An optional Letter of Wishes is also included at no additional charge, giving you space to explain personal preferences or family considerations.
How Elephant Legal helps
Planning Ahead is a Guided service, providing personal support as you consider your choices and put your arrangements in place.
You do not need to have every decision made before getting in touch. We can talk through your circumstances, explain the available options and identify anything that needs further thought.
Your instructions are reviewed and your documents carefully prepared. You will have the opportunity to check your drafts, ask questions and request appropriate changes before finalisation.
We will explain the signing requirements for your Will and LPAs and support you through the LPA registration process with the Office of the Public Guardian.
Meetings can take place online, at home or at a suitable local office, subject to availability.
If your circumstances involve trusts, blended families, business interests, overseas assets or other complex arrangements, we will discuss these with you and explain whether additional work or specialist advice may be needed.
Planning Ahead with Elephant Legal
Choose your Planning Ahead package
Whether you are arranging your own documents or planning together, our packages bring your Will and both types of Lasting Power of Attorney into one personally supported process.
Individual planning
Planning Ahead for One
Put your wishes in place for the future, with personal guidance throughout.
Bring together your Will and both Lasting Powers of Attorney, prepared around your circumstances and the people you trust.
We will help you consider your wishes, understand your options and make informed decisions before your documents are prepared.
Your package includes
- One Guided Will Included
- Property and Financial Affairs LPA Included
- Health and Welfare LPA Included
- Personal guidance and preparation Included
- Optional Letter of Wishes Complimentary
- Complete package fee £450
One joined-up approach
Your package covers all three documents and the Guided service described above.
Office of the Public Guardian registration fees are additional for each LPA.
Planning together
Planning Ahead for Two
Make your plans together, while keeping each person's wishes and decisions individual.
Arrange two Wills and both types of Lasting Power of Attorney for each person through one coordinated Guided service.
Although you are planning together, your documents are prepared individually. Your beneficiaries, executors, attorneys and instructions do not have to be identical.
Your package includes
- Two Guided Wills Included
- Two Property and Financial Affairs LPAs Included
- Two Health and Welfare LPAs Included
- Personal guidance for both people Included
- Optional Letter of Wishes for each Complimentary
- Complete package fee £720
Planning together, with individual care
Both people receive personal guidance, with each document reflecting the instructions of the person making it.
Office of the Public Guardian registration fees are additional for each of the four LPAs.
Government registration fees: Office of the Public Guardian fees are separate from Elephant Legal's package prices and are payable for each LPA. Fee reductions or exemptions may be available depending on your circumstances.
Additional services: Some circumstances may require additional planning, such as trusts, property arrangements or more complex family matters. Any appropriate additional work and its cost will be explained and agreed before proceeding. Read about additional services.
Personal guidance, from the first conversation
Ready to put your plans in place?
You do not need to have every decision made before getting in touch. Whether you are planning for yourself or making arrangements together, we can begin with a conversation about your wishes, your circumstances and what you would like to achieve. We will explain how Planning Ahead works, answer your questions and help you decide on the next steps, without any obligation to proceed.
Common questions
Planning Ahead explained
Clear answers to some of the questions you may have about arranging your Will and Lasting Powers of Attorney together.
Why should I arrange my Will and LPAs together?
A Will and Lasting Powers of Attorney deal with different stages of life, but both help you put important arrangements in place for the future.
Your Will records what should happen to your estate after your death. Your LPAs allow you to choose trusted people to make particular decisions on your behalf during your lifetime, where the law and the documents permit.
Planning Ahead brings these decisions into one Guided process, helping you consider your wishes, responsibilities and the people you trust as part of a joined-up plan.
What is included in the Planning Ahead packages?
Planning Ahead for One (£450) includes one Guided Will, one Property and Financial Affairs LPA and one Health and Welfare LPA.
Planning Ahead for Two (£720) includes two Guided Wills and four LPAs: both types for each person.
Both packages include personal guidance, document preparation and support through the relevant signing and LPA registration arrangements.
An optional complimentary Letter of Wishes is also included for each person. Government LPA registration fees are payable separately.
Do I really need both types of Lasting Power of Attorney?
The two types of LPA cover different responsibilities.
A Property and Financial Affairs LPA can allow your attorneys to deal with matters such as bank accounts, bills, pensions and property.
A Health and Welfare LPA allows your attorneys to make certain decisions about your health, care and personal welfare if you cannot make those particular decisions yourself.
Planning Ahead includes both types to provide wider coverage. However, if you only require one LPA, we can discuss arranging that separately instead.
Does making an LPA mean I lose control of my decisions?
No. Making an LPA does not automatically remove your right to make your own decisions.
Your attorneys must act within the authority given to them and follow the rules that apply to their role.
A registered Property and Financial Affairs LPA may be used with your permission while you still have mental capacity, if you have authorised this in the document.
A Health and Welfare LPA can only be used when you lack the mental capacity to make the particular decision yourself.
We will explain these differences during the Guided process so you understand what authority you are giving and when it may be used.
Can we choose different attorneys, executors or beneficiaries?
Yes. Even when two people arrange their documents together, each person's Will and LPAs are prepared individually.
You can choose different attorneys, executors and beneficiaries, and give different instructions according to your own wishes and circumstances.
The purpose of Planning Ahead for Two is to make the process convenient and coordinated, not to require both people to make identical decisions.
Do I need to have made all my decisions before the appointment?
Not at all. Planning Ahead uses Elephant Legal's Guided service, giving you time to talk through your circumstances and understand your options.
We can discuss who you would like to appoint as attorneys and executors, who should benefit from your estate and any particular wishes or concerns you may have.
If there are decisions you need more time to consider, we can identify those together rather than rushing you into giving instructions.
Are Office of the Public Guardian fees included?
No. The Planning Ahead prices cover Elephant Legal's service for the documents included in your package.
The Office of the Public Guardian charges a separate registration fee for each LPA.
Planning Ahead for One involves two LPAs, while Planning Ahead for Two involves four.
Some applicants may qualify for reduced registration fees or an exemption, depending on their circumstances.
We will explain the applicable registration fees and the payment arrangements before you proceed.
What is a Letter of Wishes?
A Letter of Wishes is a separate, informal document that can accompany your Will.
It allows you to explain personal preferences, family considerations or provide additional guidance for executors, guardians or others involved in carrying out your wishes.
It is not legally binding like a Will, but it can provide valuable context and reassurance.
An optional straightforward Letter of Wishes is included without additional charge for each person using Planning Ahead.
What if my family or financial circumstances are more complicated?
Some circumstances require additional discussion or more specialist planning.
These might include blended families, children from previous relationships, business interests, overseas assets, trusts, complex property ownership or inheritance tax concerns.
We will discuss any issues identified and explain whether the standard Planning Ahead package is suitable.
If additional services or specialist advice are needed, we will explain the position and any separate costs before further work is undertaken.
Can I arrange just a Will or an LPA instead?
Of course. Planning Ahead is designed for people who want to arrange their Will and both types of LPA together.
If you only need a Will, an individual LPA or a different combination of services, you can arrange these separately through Elephant Legal.
We will help you understand the available options without requiring you to choose a package that does not meet your needs.
What happens after I decide to proceed?
We begin by discussing your circumstances and the arrangements you would like to put in place.
At your Guided appointment, we will talk through your wishes, explain the relevant options and gather the information needed to prepare your documents.
You will have an opportunity to review your draft Will and LPA documents, ask questions and request appropriate changes.
Once everything is agreed, we will explain the signing requirements and support you through the LPA registration process.
Your LPAs must be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian before they can be used.
Take the next step
Let's talk about your plans
You don't need to have all the answers before getting in touch. Tell me a little about what you're looking for and when you might be available. I'll be in touch to arrange a convenient appointment.
No payment required to enquire. No obligation to proceed.